Until it was surpassed by Les Simpson (1989) in 2004, this was the longest running comedy series in American television history.
The Nelsons' house shown in exterior shots on the show was the family's real home located at 1822 Camino Palmero Street in Los Angeles.
The show began as a radio series in 1944. David Nelson and Ricky Nelson were played by professional actors, because the Nelsons' sons were too young, but by 1949 the real David and Ricky were part of the show. In 1952 the show became a television series.
This show frequently employed the performance technique known as "breaking the fourth wall" in a comedic way. The technique consists of an actor turning directly to the camera to address the audience with an "aside," or a funny comment on the action of the scene.
In 1962, this became the first prime-time scripted series to celebrate its tenth anniversary while still on the air. It ran for another four years after that.